2012 Senior Bowl Game Recap

Joe Adams, WR/KR, Arkansas
Isaiah Pead won the MVP, but if the South had prevailed over the North, Joe Adams would have received the award.

Adams is a stud. He fumbled on the opening drive, but came back to catch eight balls for 133 yards. I don't know how many tackles he broke in this game, but it seemed like a dozen. He's going to be a play-maker out of the slot position with dynamic kick return ability to boot. He has a shot to be chosen in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
There were rumors heading into the Senior Bowl that some teams viewed Mike Adams as a top-15 prospect. He certainly looked the part on Saturday afternoon.

Adams was flat-out dominant - and not just against any ordinary defensive lineman. He shut Quinton Coples and Courtney Upshaw down, time after time. Upshaw did manage a sack against Adams on one occasion in the third quarter, but that was because Russell Wilson held on to the football too long on that play. Adams actually did a good job of pushing the Alabama end around; if Wilson would have stepped up in the pocket, Upshaw wouldn't have touched him.

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
There's no denying that Quinton Coples has top-five talent. I wouldn't touch him with a top-12 pick, however.

I have huge concerns about Coples' effort and motor. He had a down senior campaign, and whenever he was matched up with a legitimate tackle in this contest, he couldn't really do anything. Coples made some great plays Saturday afternoon, but only against guards Kelechi Osemele and Senio Kelemete, neither of whom should ever be lined up outside.

There's just something missing with Coples. He disappears far too often, and if I were spending a top-12 selection on him, I'd have huge concerns about his motivation after he signs a huge contract. People may want to point to Julius Peppers as another North Carolina defensive end who doesn't give 100 percent all the time, but Coples is not Peppers. Not even close. He doesn't have his burst.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
Kirk Cousins was statistically guilty of an interception in the Senior Bowl, but that wasn't his worst throw because DeVier Posey stopped his route. Cousin's worst throw was a pass that he heaved downfield for an open Gerell Robinson, who beat first-round corner Janoris Jenkins. Cousins had a touchdown, but in Brady Quinn-like fashion, he tossed the ball late and out of bounds. That was very disappointing to see out of a potential second-rounder.

Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
Juron Criner dropped a pass Saturday afternoon, but that was his only blemish in what was an impressive Senior Bowl week for him. Finishing with six catches for 77 yards, Criner solidified his second-round status. There's also a shot he'll be selected on the first day, but I wouldn't bet on that just yet.

Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall
All the talk was about the South's pass-rushers, like Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw, but Vinny Curry was more impressive than all of them. Curry was in the backfield quite often, even collecting a strip-sack of Nick Foles. He also forced Brandon Weeden into an interception, hitting him as the Oklahoma State quarterback released his throw.

Curry has a shot to be drafted at the end of the first round. He's a perfect fit for Bill Belichick's scheme, and I'm sure both the Ravens and Packers will show some interest.

Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
Nick Foles has all the physical tools, but just seems to lack the mental aspect of the game. His footwork is just awful, and you couldn't really see it here because blitzing is illegal in the Senior Bowl, but he doesn't seem to know what to do when pressured.

Foles made some nice throws Saturday afternoon, but was lucky that a pick-six of his was dropped by Leonard Johnson in the third quarter. He also missed Joe Adams for a potential touchdown on the following drive, as he threw way behind the Razorback wideout.

Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
Jeff Fuller caught three balls for 19 yards, but was responsible for a drop, which is something that plagued him throughout the week. He had a very disappointing Senior Bowl.

Ben Jones, C, Georgia
Ben Jones also had an awful Senior Bowl. He had issues blocking most of the North team's interior linemen, including Alameda Ta'amu, who tossed him aside on a couple of occasions. Jones also pushed Vinny Curry into Nick Foles for a strip-sack in the second half.

Marvin Jones, WR, California
As Charlie noted in his 2012 NFL Draft Stock: Senior Bowl page, Marvin Jones was under the radar heading into this week because he wasn't the No. 1 receiver at Cal. That's not the case anymore. Jones had a spectacular week, highlighted by an eight-yard touchdown from Russell Wilson. Jones will be in my next 2012 NFL Mock Draft update.

Doug Martin, RB, Boise State
Excluding anything special teams-related, Doug Martin was the best running back on the field at the Senior Bowl. He had two big gains in which he displayed nice speed and solid lower body strength to break tackles. He also had a nice downfield block on a touchdown.

I've seen some respected NFL Draft analysts compare Martin to Ray Rice because of his running and pass-catching ability. Like Rice, Martin could be chosen in the second round.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
It looked like it was going to be ugly for Kellen Moore early on. He had an interception dropped by Dwight "Bill" Bentley early in the second quarter. However, he came back and threw two touchdown passes that were dropped by Marvin McNutt and DeVier Posey on the ensuing drive. Moore also had a beautiful, 20-yard touch pass that he lofted up for his fullback in the fourth quarter despite the fact that he had to move his receivers to the correct spot as the play clock was running down. He showed great composure in that situation.

Moore finished a mediocre 6-of-12 for 50 yards. I find myself rooting for him because everyone is so down on him, but he's nothing more than a career backup quarterback in the NFL. He'll be a solid No. 2 though; he's really smart, so he'll be able to master a system.

Isaiah Pead, RB/KR, Cincinnati
Isaiah Pead was named MVP of the Senior Bowl, thanks to two great punt returns. He also had 31 rushing yards on eight carries, though he was brought down by one of Quinton Coples' arms on one attempt. Still, it'll be an upset if he makes it to the third day of the 2012 NFL Draft at this point.

Chris Polk, RB, Washington
Chris Polk has been heavily criticized this week. Many have noted that he looked overweight and out of shape on the practice field. The Sun Tan Man himself said that Polk has hurt his stock more than any other player at the Senior Bowl. However, Polk began the game by breaking tackles on several plays, as he seemed determined to prove his detractors wrong. He was solid on the first drive, but disappeared after that. He finished with 15 yards on six carries.

DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State
Did DeVier Posey think the Senior Bowl was on Sunday, or something? He played like he was sleepwalking through this game. He dropped a couple of passes and stopped his route on one occasion, resulting in a Kirk Cousins interception. I don't see how Posey can be selected prior to the sixth round at this point.

Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
Like Mike Adams, Mitchell Schwartz put the clamps on Quinton Coples and Courtney Upshaw. Schwartz enjoyed a good week prior to this contest, so he did a good job in solidifying his Day 2 potential.

Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State
Bobby Wagner had a really nice Senior Bowl. He led all players with seven tackles. He also notched a TFL, an interception and a pass break-up. Wagner can play a variety of linebacker positions, which will help him get into the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Brandon Weeden was the most impressive quarterback all week, and that didn't change in this contest. He was very sharp on his first couple of drives. On one play, he was smart enough to see coverage over the top, so he intentionally underthrew a pass that was completed to tight end Brad Smelley.

Weeden didn't finish well, however. Near the end of the first quarter, he stumbled from under center and made a poor decision to throw the ball into coverage. Linebacker Bobby Wagner made an easy pick. Weeden tossed a second ugly interception on the South's penultimate drive of the game. It was a terrible pass thrown right to linebacker James-Michael Johnson.

I think Weeden has done enough to get him into the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Given his age, however, I can't see any team spending a first-round pick on him. Doing so would be very irresponsible.

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
There was some bad and some good from Russell Wilson in this contest. On the first drive, he overthrew Marvin McNutt, who was wide open in the end zone after beating Brandon Boykin. Wilson was intercepted on the next drive because he threw the ball way late. LSU safety Brandon Taylor came up with the easy pick.

Wilson really improved after that. Despite three botched snaps by Rishaw Johnson (a natural guard playing center for some reason), Wilson was able to lead the North to a touchdown in which he rolled out of the pocket and showed off some great accuracy to Cal wideout Marvin Jones. Earlier on the possession, Wilson turned two of Johnson's crappy snaps into positive plays. He picked up the football and was able to elude some defenders before completing the pass.

Wilson's height hurts him, but his arm strength and accuracy are both very good. Some team is going to believe in him enough to select him in Rounds 3-5.